Klopp roars over showing Aubameyang confirms Chinese offer of cut-price Liverpool stars
Players step up in 3-1 win against Athletic Bilbao as pre-season ends
LIVERPOOL boss Jurgen Klopp will keep an open mind on the Reds’ participation in the transfer market, after signing off on an unbeaten pre-season with a 3-1 win over Athletic Bilbao.
The Reds boss watched 19-year-old northern hemisphere summer signing Dominic Solanke score again, along with 17-year-old Ben Woodburn, while Alberto Moreno impressed at full back.
Klopp shelled out a club record £34-million (R596-million) to Roma for Mohamed Salah this summer, and £8-million (R140-million) for Scottish full back Andy Robertson from Hull but he has been enthused by the impressions made by those who cost little or nothing. “We’ve always said that until August 31 we’ll run through the world with open eyes, that’s clear, but it’s not us alone who decides about these things. It’s all about other clubs [too],” said Klopp. “I thought today [Saturday] and this pre-season brought us new players, if you want.
“Alberto Moreno is 100% back, which is very nice after a really difficult year. Andrew Robertson shows all the skills he has; of course he still has to adapt to our way of playing but you can already see what a threat he can be offensively. That means James Milner is free for midfield, so without being in the transfer market we have a new midfield player, which is nice.
“Dominic Solanke, I think he’s already shown that he’s ready for some adult football. Ryan Kent, I’ve known him for one-anda-half years and last year he developed unbelievably well and this pre-season is completely different to last pre-season; he’s completely showed up now.
“So, without paying too much money or the highest transfer fees we have additions in the squad. That’s good.”
Roberto Firmino scored the other goal for Liverpool in Dublin, in front of over 50 000 Liverpool fans, but there was no sign of fellow Brazilian Philipe Coutinho, who has been linked with a move to Barcelona.
Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana were also missing through injury, with the latter out for up to three months, but Klopp said he must now focus on next week’s Premier League opener against Watford.
“Everybody knows about the injury to Adam Lallana, it’s a big blow, but this team deals with so many difficult situations and they will deal with this,” Klopp said.
“Phil [Coutinho] had back problems yesterday and today [Friday and Saturday] so there was no reason for any risks; the same with [Jordan] Henderson. He was a little bit ill, so we said ‘OK, no risk today’.
“We will rotate, that’s clear, that’s not my problem at the moment; I’ll prepare for the Watford game from tomorrow [today] on, and then the next game, and then the next game, and then I’ll think about how we can do this.” — AFP PIERRE-EMERICK Aubameyang said yesterday he was the subject of a big-money offer from China, but his club, Borussia Dortmund, insist he will not leave this season.
Aubameyang, who is under contract until 2020, confirms in yest edition of Die Welt that there was an offer from an unnamed Chinese club, but Dortmund have said he will not leave in 2017/18.
The 28-year-old had been linked to China’s Tianjin Quanjin, who last month signed French striker Anthony Modeste from Dortmund’s rivals Cologne in a deal reportedly worth million (R554-million).
“Yes, I had an offer. But I think the Chinese were hard-pressed to submit a bid to Borussia Dortmund,” said Aubameyang.
“I think the structures are still not as professional as in Europe.” And the Gabon international admits he was tempted.
“I know that many people have said you cannot go to China, because the football there is a step back. But I think that anybody would think about it when he gets such an offer,” he said.
The Gabon hotshot, the Bundesliga’s top scorer last season with 31 goals, scored in Saturday’s German Super Cup home defeat to Bayern Munich.
Dortmund lost 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out after finishing 2-2. — AFP